Reasonable fees for a local wedding coordinator?

Ok so here I was thinking this was going to be easy. Thanks so much Catererbride! I too have a villa wedding so the additional factors are definitely spinning my head around now. I'm sorry you're going through so much especially since your a catering manager yourself. My parents owned a restaurant and did catering business so I'm definitely going to be using their expertise. But if you don't mind if you could message me if you think there are any planners I really should avoid, I would be totally appreciate it. I've got not only a destination wedding, I have a transcontinental wedding (fiance is English and my half is hailing from New York) so any help to uncomplicate an already complicated set of circumstances would be really helpful. Thanks so much!

All my best,

Soon2bMrsG

Originally Posted by catererbride

Hello all,

My experience with wedding co-ordinators has been highly frustrating and I cannot seem to get any of them to understand what it is that I am asking for and I obviously belive myself to be very clear!

Prices have been around the 10% range but one planner charged a flat fee of $2000 which I thought was extortionate. Some are cheap and cheerful and if you are having a standard resort wedding package and just want to have someone along for the ride to make sure things run smoothly, then go for it. We, on the other hand are having a private villa wedding and hence there are loads of additional factors to deal with from glass rental to transportation of food and so on.

As a catering manager myself, I have always asked clients to put everything in writing via email as opposed to over the phone to avoid any misunderstanding...I have done this and still yet mistakes are being made. You pay someone to lessen the stress right?

We have now ended things with our second planner and are now going to take one out with us and just try and work everything out ourselves.

Unfortunately, with a lot of destination planners, we brides are just another number and another wedding...they may have 2,3,4,5 other weddings that week if they are good, so how much focus should we expect really?

Plus, my fiance, being Jamaican is a bit livid about some of their fees to us foreigners in relation to say...a very good monthly salary out there and some of these vendors are asking for waaaaaay more than that for one night.

Yes, the planners do check out this site, so I certainly won't be bad mouthing anyone and have been incontact with pretty much all of them. I will be factual though and Helen G, for example, is expensive, whether she is worth it or not, I couldn't say. I have seen on this site where she posted a reply to someone else saying that, so before I get one too.......yes I know I am asking for a lot!

Ensure that when you are booking a local wedding planner that they have done similar weddings to what you are looking for that th price is right and they are honest and gives you their undivided attention. I once worked with a wedding planner in Jamaica for a friend of mine wedding and she was expensive and also told my friend that she doesnt have to email so often lol ensure you seek a great planner. Feel free to message me if you need any help or referrals as i am a Jamaican girl but lives in the Canada and have attended quiet a few weddings back home